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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/29136861">No Strings Attached</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanillaAttack/pseuds/VanillaAttack'>VanillaAttack</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Haikyuu!!</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Angst, Brazil Fling (Haikyuu!!), Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Minor Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio, Minor Iwaizumi Hajime/Oikawa Tooru, OiHina - Freeform, Post-Time Skip, Pro Volleyball Player Oikawa Tooru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-02-01</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-02-15</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 07:21:52</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>6,060</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/29136861</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/VanillaAttack/pseuds/VanillaAttack</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>People in Brazil came and went like waves on the beach. Once one passed, another came and you forgot about the first one. You start over, no strings attached.<br/>So, that’s what Hinata Shouyou did.  </p>
<p>Meeting Oikawa Tooru wasn't part of the plan.  But what will he do when Oikawa seems to be the only one able to fill the emptiness within him?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Hinata Shouyou &amp; Oikawa Tooru, Hinata Shouyou/Oikawa Tooru</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>27</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>To be completely honest, I wasn't sure I was going to write this or not. The idea has been in my head for so long that it almost felt weird writing it out like this. But alas, here I am.<br/>Personally, I think the "oihina in Brazil fling" is super underrated and I love reading about it. That's also the main reason why I decided to publish this.<br/>The main inspiration for this was actually the song: "Habits (stay high)" by Tove Lo. If you haven't heard it I highly recommend listening to it before reading.</p>
<p>I hope that people stumbling upon this fic enjoys it as much as I enjoyed writing it. Your interest means everything to me.</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>There were always new people in Brazil. </p>
<p>Somehow, there were always new people to meet; new people to take home; new people to explore; and there were always new people to forget.  </p>
<p>The streets of Rio de Janeiro were always fresh and full of life, no matter the hour. Not at all like Shouyou’s old neighborhood in Miyagi where everybody knew everybody. Unlike in Japan, relationships in Brazil were short. You meet someone, start talking, dance a bit, maybe more, and then it’s over and you moved on to meet another person.  </p>
<p>Of course, there were people Shouyou knew and interacted with. There was his roommate, Pedro, his teammate-turned-friend, Heitor and Heitor’s girlfriend, Nice. But those relationships felt... empty.  </p>
<p>Don’t get him wrong, Shouyou was grateful for the relationships he had (god knows where he would have been without them). He just wished for a relationship a bit more personal. He missed being able to talk freely with someone like he could with his friends back in Japan. But it was hard to do that when you’re not completely fluent in the language. That barrier disconnected Shouyou from the people around him.  </p>
<p>Never in his entire life would Hinata Shouyou think he would feel so lonely being around people. </p>
<p>But that was the problem for people who always fit in; when they suddenly don’t, the loneliness hits them ten times harder. It felt like taking one of Ushijima’s spikes to the face, only this time the pain came from the inside. An aching hollowness that wanted to be filled. But by whom? </p>
<p>And that’s when Shouyou realized. There were always new people in Brazil. </p>
<p>People came and went like waves on the beach. Once one passed, another came and you forgot about the first one. You start over, no strings attached.  </p>
<p>So, that’s what Shouyou did.  </p>
<p>What started as occasional nights out quickly turned into an almost everyday thing. He even started playing with the “Buy Me a Drink” brothers just to get an excuse to go out. Drinking was the only thing that seemed to ease the hollowness he was suffering from. Even though he knew it wasn’t healthy, Shouyou was so bothered by the emptiness within him that he didn’t care. He wanted to forget, if only for just a moment, and nights out was his only way to do that. </p>
<p>This was one of those nights. </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Shouyou and Heitor had just lost a game of beach volleyball against the brothers and were now desperately searching their pockets for more money to spend. In the back of their heads, they knew they would regret spending this much money on alcohol in the morning, but for now they were too wasted to care.  </p>
<p> They were at their fourth (maybe fifth?) round of shots. At this point neither of them really cared about the flavor, so when the bartender asked, they just answered with: “the more colorful the better” before laughing their asses off like they were the funniest people in the world. </p>
<p>Honestly, it was a miracle none of them had passed out yet, especially Shouyou. </p>
<p>See, Shouyou wasn't built like the others at the table. He was tiny in comparison. Sure, he had muscles, but his seemed meek compared to Gabriel and Gino. Besides that, Shouyou was also shorter than his company. Standing at 5’7, (a height he was quite proud of, thank you very much) Shouyou was one of the shortest in the room. Even a lot of the girls there towered over him.  </p>
<p>On top of that, Shouyou wasn’t a big drinker either. In fact, his first drink was there in Brazil (an event he would very much like to forget). This whole drinking thing was new to him, and it showed. Besides the obvious change in his sleep schedule, Shouyou’s whole diet had turned upside-down. Protein shakes were often replaced with alcohol and sometimes meals were forgotten. His old coach would not approve.  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>At some point Nice had come to pick up her boyfriend (God help him in the morning) and Shouyou was left alone with Gabriel and Gino. But soon enough, Gino left with some blond girl with glittery makeup and Gabriel had passed out in the line to the bathroom. So, Shouyou was left all alone at the bar with an aching head and a small smirk glued on his tired face.  </p>
<p>Nope, his old coach would definitely not approve.  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Half a drink later, Shouyou was brought out of his drunken trance by someone’s voice in his ear.  </p>
<p>“-ing all alone, so I thought you might want some company.” </p>
<p>Looking up, Shouyou met a pair of deep blue eyes, glimmering like the ocean under the warm lamplight from the dancefloor. Their eye contact was soon interrupted, though, when a strand of raven hair fell over one of the stranger's beautiful eyes. And suddenly Shouyou’s intoxicated brain was filled with one thought and one thought only. One word. A name. </p>
<p><em> Kageyama </em> <em> . </em> </p>
<p>“By the look on your face I’m assuming I am correct,” the not-Kageyama laughed. </p>
<p>See, even in this drunken state, Shouyou knew this wasn’t really Kageyama. Though without the little details, he would’ve easily been fooled. For example, the man before him had dimples. Kageyama did not have dimples. Kageyamas hair was straighter. His nose was smaller and his eyes were darker. This man in front of him was a little taller, but the Kageyama he knew was broader.  </p>
<p> But the biggest giveaway was the language. This man was speaking in Portuguese and as far as Shouyou knew, Kageyama only knew Japanese and a little English (all though that could be discussed).  </p>
<p>But for some reason, this man before him awoke a sort of hunger within him, and let me tell you, Shouyou was starving. It wasn’t at all like the hollowness he was used to. This was much deeper. So, deep that Shouyou became filled with greed. </p>
<p>In fact, he felt so greedy and desperate for someone to ease his hunger, that he found himself agreeing to whatever the man said. To be honest, Shouyou didn’t have one clue what he was agreeing to. A deafening ringing filled his ears instead, but as his hunger grew and as his greed became stronger, the noise was almost completely unnoticeable.  </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Before Shouyou knew it he was swaying along the late (or maybe early) streets of Rio, blabbing about God-knows-what with God-knows-who on his way to God-knows-where.  </p>
<p>That in of itself would seem alarming to most, and probably even to Shouyou normally. Yet, right now it seemed much safer to him than stumbling home alone. To be fair, much worse thing could happen if he was all alone in that state, right? </p>
<p> </p>
<p>After that, everything happened in a blur.  </p>
<p>Shouyou didn’t register what was happening around him. He was in a sort of fog. He couldn’t see or hear anything, but he could feel. And oh, did it feel good.  </p>
<p>He could feel hands on his body, lips against his skin, pressure all over, and heat. So much heat. Like a scorching pleasure, burning him to ash from the inside out. It felt so wrong, yet so right. He felt so clean, yet so dirty. He felt so good, yet so bad. </p>
<p>He felt so happy, yet so sad. </p>
<p>He could barely sense the troubling hunger from earlier anymore. In a way, you could say he was full; full on this new rush he was experiencing. But even though he couldn’t stomach anything more, he wasn’t completely satisfied. He craved more. But this man, this stranger he was with, couldn’t fill the void within him. All the man did was put a seal on it, making the emptiness less noticeable for the moment. He wasn’t a cure, just a temporary painkiller for the loneliness-disease Shouyou was suffering from. Shouyou knew that as soon as this was over, he would go back to being a homesick mess, but that was a problem for later, he thought. Right now, he was so high on this rush, so blinded by this bliss, that nothing else seemed to matter. Not where he was, who he was with and certainly not what he was doing. </p>
<p> He was locked in this sweet, sweet misery and nothing else mattered other than this.  </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>When Shouyou woke up he was confused, to say the least. He had no idea where he was, how he got there or how to get home. Not to mention the fact that he was completely naked and lying beside a stranger. He wanted to remember, but thinking only made his already brutal headache worse. The only thing he was certain of was that he needed to get out of there, and fast. </p>
<p>Not wanting to wake up the stranger, Shouyou moved quietly out of bed. Or tried to, at least. As soon as he stood up, the whole room started to spin. The walls felt like they were caving in around him and Shouyou had to grip the bed to keep from falling.  </p>
<p>Getting dressed was harder than one might think. First of all, Shouyou had to find his clothes, which was a scavenger hunt in itself. The clothes were scattered all over. His shirt was on the floor while his pants were in the hallway. One sock was still in his shoe and he couldn’t find the other.  </p>
<p>As soon as he was somewhat changed, Shouyou bolted. Never once did he look back as he left. He didn’t even check which street he was on before he got to a new one, not wanting to remember where he had been, whom he had been with, what he had done. </p>
<p><em> Oh, god. </em> </p>
<p>He felt sick. </p>
<p>Shouyou tried to walk as normally as he could, but his head was still spinning and his sight was still a bit blurry, making his steps uneven. People were giving him weird glances as he passed, but Shouyou had bigger things to worry about. </p>
<p>How the **** would he get home? </p>
<p>His first thought was to call a cab, but he soon realized two things: </p>
<p>One, he didn’t know how to call a cab in Portuguese. </p>
<p>Two, he had spent all his money last night on drinks. </p>
<p><em> Well, sh*t. </em> </p>
<p>His second thought was to call his roommate.  </p>
<p>Fortunately for Shouyou, Pedro answered and agreed to pick him up. And so, twenty minutes later, Pedro pulled up in his teal-colored minivan. He stuck his head out of the window, took one look at Shouyou and smirked. </p>
<p><em> “ </em>Slept alright?” </p>
<p><em> This  </em> <em> motherfu </em> <em> - </em> </p>
<p>“Shut up,” was Shouyou’s only response as he climbed inside the vehicle.  </p>
<p>He felt like shit and Pedro's mocking did not help in the slightest, but still, Shouyou couldn’t help but smile, too. The whole situation felt surreal, but at the same time he found it hilarious. So, when Pedro started to laugh, Shouyou couldn’t help but laugh with him. </p>
<p>“By the way, do you know what happened to Gabriel? Gino called this morning saying he was missing, wondering if you knew anything. I told him you didn’t get home last night. We assumed he was with you, but,” Pedro glanced over at Shouyou, “I’m guessing we were wrong.” </p>
<p>Shouyou blushed, but quickly shook it off. He had to think back. Ignoring his headache, he managed to remember little bits and pieces of last night. Among those were a vague picture of a passed-out Gabriel. </p>
<p>“I think the last time I saw him; he was out cold in the club. I think he was on his way to the bathroom or something.” </p>
<p>“Well, that can’t be good,” Pedro said and looked over at Shouyou, who met his gaze from the passenger seat.  </p>
<p>“No. No, it can’t.”  </p>
<p>And then they both started laughing. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>As soon as they got back to their apartment, Shouyou went straight to bed. He didn’t shower, didn’t eat, didn’t change. As soon as his body hit the mattress, he was out cold. He let the much-needed sleep engulf him in the most blissful way possible.  </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>Loneliness, was the first thing Shouyou felt when he woke up. As if a wound inside him hade opened up and now, he wanted nothing more than for it to heal. He was drowning beneath a sudden wave of homesickness, making him feel... selfish. </p>
<p>He longed for Japan. He longed for an indoor court to play on. He longed for his old friends to play with. He longed for the familiar feeling of Japanese words on his tongue. The taste of Japanese food in his mouth. </p>
<p>He felt so utterly <em> selfish </em>.  </p>
<p>But most of all, he longed for the feeling of forgetting. The relief of having all the troubles in his life lifted off his shoulders. </p>
<p><em> The feeling from last night. </em> </p>
<p>And with that realization, Shouyou’s hunt began. </p>
<p> </p>
<p>Nights out weren’t just about drinking or having a fun time anymore, and meeting new people wasn’t about making new friends, either. Going out often meant not coming home ‘till morning.  </p>
<p>After that one drunken night, Shouyou quickly went from being a liability to needing them. He often needed to be picked up in the mornings and if not that, he needed help getting home because he was too drunk to manage on his own.  </p>
<p>In fact, Shouyou was almost never home. Pedro had even started joking about him not needing to pay any rent anymore. Shouyou spent his days practicing on the beach and his nights... well, everywhere.  </p>
<p>One night he’s in a club (or several) and the next he might be screaming out the lyrics to Katy Perry songs with some stranger in the middle of the street (yes, that did happen).  </p>
<p>In other words, Shouyou was living his best life possible. That is, until the mornings after. At this point, Shouyou was probably ingesting more aspirin than real food. Headaches had become an almost everyday thing and painkillers had become a new breakfast item.  </p>
<p>Unfortunately for Shouyou, his new life style came with a cost. His messed-up diet along with his messed-up sleep schedule had exhausted his body in ways that showed in his performance on the court. His stamina had worsened and he couldn’t jump as high as he used to. There had even been days where he’d skipped practice all together because he was too hungover from the night prior.  </p>
<p>As soon as Shouyou had realized this, he had tried to get back on track. But after just one day, the hollowness had returned and three days after that, he couldn’t take it any longer and went out.  </p>
<p>The nickname “Ninja Shouyou” had become known both on and off the court. On the beach, Shouyou was recognized for his ninja-like speed and moves. While on the streets he was infamous for his partying. He was, quite literally, living two different lives. </p>
<p>But still he wasn’t satisfied.  </p>
<p>Shouyou knew what he wanted, what he needed, but he had no clue how to obtain it. It was impossible. Because as far as everybody knew, it was indeed impossible to travel back in time. And that was what Shouyou longed for:  </p>
<p>His old life. </p>
<p>God, wasn’t he a homesick mess? </p>
<p><em> I need a drink. </em> </p>
<p> </p><hr/>
<p> </p>
<p>The beach had become like a second home to Shouyou. It’s where he did what he loved and lived for; volleyball. Almost every day he spent there, playing on the sandy beach under the blazing sun, meeting new people and having a good time.  </p>
<p>That’s how it started at least. </p>
<p>Now, the sport had become a distant reminder of what could never be. Don’t get him wrong, Shouyou still played. He was far too grateful for this opportunity to let some stupid homesickness let it all go to waste. But still... </p>
<p><em> No. Not today! I won't let old memories ruin this. </em> </p>
<p>And he wouldn’t. </p>
<p>Today was quite the big day for him. See, Shouyou was currently standing on the beach court with Heitor, waiting for the match to begin. Who were they facing? None other than the two biggest jerks that South America had ever seen. Shouyou swears he had never seen such punchable faces before. Even their smirks screamed “hit me”. </p>
<p>How had it come to this, you may ask? </p>
<p>Well, it all started when they got to the beach that afternoon. Heitor had been a bit down because apparently, he and Nice had gotten into a little argument over a mat or something, so, he had called up Shouyou practically begging for a drink. And who was Shouyou to refuse? Long story short, they decided to make the whole thing a big deal and called up Gino and Gabriel. They even invited Pedro even though they knew he didn’t drink. But then, for some stupid reason, they got in an argument over who should pay. Heitor and Shouyou meant it was the brothers turn since they had paid the last time they had gone out. But Gino and Gabriel didn’t agree and said that they should “settle this on the court”. Shouyou being overly confident and Heitor being tired of the argument, agreed.  </p>
<p>But unfortunately, when they got to the beach all the courts were occupied, so they had to wait their turn. After only about fifteen minutes however, the ongoing match before them became so heated and intense that Shouyou and his little group couldn’t keep their eyes away.  </p>
<p>Two younger girls were facing off against a pair of older guys. It was obvious that this was an unfair match. The girls were desperately jumping and diving after the ball while their opponents didn’t so much as break a sweat. Still, the girls put up a fight and it was clear they wouldn’t lose just yet. Their eyes were burning with determination and like a wildfire their stubbornness only grew bigger and grater with every point they lost. </p>
<p>To most of the onlookers their determination seemed excessive and tragic, but to Shouyou the whole thing felt all too familiar for he too had had that same fire burning in his eyes. He too had experienced not being able to give up when he knew he was losing. It had been years ago, when Shouyou had lost against Kageyama in their last year of middle school. At the time he had been disappointed in himself but at the same time the loss had made him more determined to get better. Pushing him to where he was today. </p>
<p><em> I wonder what these girls have at stake. </em> </p>
<p>In the end, the girls had lost, much to their opponents' glee. It was then that Shouyou realized that something was wrong. The two boys had started to walk across the court towards the younger girls who could only watch in fear.  </p>
<p>Something was definitely wrong. </p>
<p>Heitor seemed to have caught on as well because he was silently tugging at Shouyou’s shirt.  </p>
<p>“Is it just me or does this not seem right? I mean just look at their faces. They seem terrified!” </p>
<p>Shouyou was about to answer, but one of the guys from the match started to speak in a loud voice, making sure he was being heard over the forming crowd.  </p>
<p>“Well girls! A deal is a deal, so pay up.” </p>
<p>“P-please,” one of the girls said, “can’t we give you anything else? We have money! Just please d-don’t touch us.” </p>
<p>She was crying and holding the other girl’s hand in a tight and shaky grip. The other girl was standing completely still, too scared to move. All their confidence from earlier had vanished and was now replaced with pure fear. </p>
<p>It was then that it became clear how young these girls actually were. They couldn’t have been much older than Shouyou’s little sister, Natsu. The two men however, appeared to be older than Shouyou, with noticeable beards and broad shoulders. </p>
<p>“Oh, this is just disgusting,” Gino said, making a show of turning away from the scene. </p>
<p>And it was indeed disgusting. But that disgust was quickly turned into anger as one of the men laid a hand on one of the girls' shoulders. </p>
<p>That small act was all it took for Shouyou to run over to the court and put himself between the man and the girl.  </p>
<p>“Let her go!” Shouyou said in broken Portuguese, pushing lightly at the man. “She clearly doesn’t want to go with you.”  </p>
<p>The man seemed taken aback by this, but his expression quickly changed into annoyance as he caught a glimpse of Shouyou.  </p>
<p>“Who are you supposed to be?” The man asked angrily. </p>
<p>At this, Heitor, Gino and Gabriel seemed to realize this wasn’t going to end well and hurriedly started to make their way towards their friend.  </p>
<p>“Does it matter? I’m just a person who thinks it’s wrong to force young girls into something they clearly don’t want to do,” Shouyou shot back. </p>
<p>He was getting angry; he knew he was. But as a big brother, things like this were very provoking, so Shouyou let the anger come. In fact, he embraced it.  </p>
<p>“What’s it to you, huh? They lost fair and square and now they have to pay up.”  </p>
<p>It showed that the man was also getting angry. His eyes had narrowed and his smirk was being replaced with a frown, as he took a step closer towards Shouyou. </p>
<p><em> A warning. </em> </p>
<p><em> “ </em>Well, then you wouldn’t mind settling things ‘fair and square’ with me now, would you? Let’s play a game of beach. But if I win you have to leave the girls alone.” </p>
<p>A loud “ohh” could be heard around them. </p>
<p>“And if I win?” The man asked, one eyebrow quirking upward. </p>
<p>“Simple. If you win, I won’t stop you from taking the girls. In fact, I will even pay for the cab ride to the hotel.” </p>
<p>The man smirked and reached out his hand, signaling for Shouyou to shake it. But before he got the chance a pair of strong arms pulled him back. </p>
<p>“Shou, come on. Don’t be stupid,” The familiar voice of Gabriel said. </p>
<p>“It’s none of our business. Just let it go.” Heitor. </p>
<p>Shouyou spun around aggressively, facing his three friends. </p>
<p>“If that’s what you think then you can leave. I will gladly beat them on my own,” he said with a glare. </p>
<p>“You know I can’t do that, Shouyou,” Heitor said back with sad eyes.  </p>
<p>“Good, then don’t,” Shouyou simply said as he spun back around and took the man’s outstretched hand. </p>
<p>“Let’s do this!” </p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff"><p>I did not want this to take two weeks to finish, but here we are. I am so sorry for the long wait, but lately school has been kind of though and I've been focusing on that.</p><p>This is the second chapter and together with the first one it's a kind of prologue. As you can see in the tags there will be a bit of angst and the two first chapters is the build-up for that. I wanted to explain how Oikawa and Hnata is in similar situations so that's what these two chapters are.<br/>This chapter focuses on Oikawa and also on how he and Hinata meet in Brazil.</p><p>I really hope you enjoy.</p></blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Tooru Oikawa knew he would never get used to the heat.  </p><p>He had spent enough time in South America to understand the culture, the language and even the people, but the weather was just something too foreign for him to understand. </p><p>Around him, the rest of Club Atlético San Juan walked with fresh looking tans while Tooru himself looked like the long-lost twin of a sundried tomato. He was wearing layers upon layers of sunscreen, but still the blazing sun somehow managed to get in.  </p><p> </p><p>Tooru and his team were on a trip to Rio de Janeiro and they were currently strolling on the beach in search for a good place to eat.  </p><p>All of them had been surprised at how empty the beach seemed to be. The only people around were families or kids. The night seemed to be a quiet and peaceful one, and Tooru couldn’t help but wonder why.  </p><p>All other nights they had been there the beach had been packing with people, both young and old. And as far as Tooru knew there weren’t any big events going on that night either.  </p><p>But his question was soon answered when they got further along the beach. </p><p>A big crowd had gathered around a single volleyball court in the middle of the beach. Loud cheers and laughs were drowning out everything else around them. The wind only sounded like a distant whisper and the ocean sounded still, as though the whole world had paused to watch this single game of beach volleyball.  </p><p>“Woah! What's going on here?” One of Tooru’s teammates said. </p><p>And with those words the whole team started to make their way over to the crowd.  </p><p>Entering the crowd was like walking into an arena and Tooru was overcome by a sudden wave of excitement.  </p><p>The intensity of the game was so great you could almost taste it and once you got a bite you immediately wanted more. Everyone watching was absorbed by it in their own ways. Some cheered, some had taken out their phones and were filming the game and Tooru... </p><p>Tooru stood completely frozen and <em> gaped </em> at the scene before him. </p><p>For on the court was none other than Karasuno’s number 10, jumping and diving with inhuman flexibility and speed. Shouts of “Ninja Shouyou” where echoing all around him and with that he was a hundred precent sure. </p><p><em> Hinata  </em> <em> Shouyou </em> <em>  was here in Brazil. </em> </p><p><em> Is this real life? </em> </p><p>Countless questions where swirling around in his head, yet he didn’t want any of them answered. Because <em> Hinata  </em> <em> Shouyou </em> <em>  was here.  </em> He was here and he was real, Tooru knew. He wasn’t just a hallucination. This, this  <em> was  </em> <em> real life </em>. </p><p> </p><p>Suddenly, everything became really quiet, like time itself had stopped. Then, after only mere seconds had passed, the universe caught up again. Every pair of eyes widened and every mouth started to cheer as the volleyball dropped on the sandy court.  </p><p>The game was over. And Hinata had won. </p><p>Everything was chaos, but in an organized kind of way. People were jumping up and down, screaming and cheering and laughing. It felt like the whole world was celebrating with them as sand was flying around them like confetti. </p><p> It was so beautiful and thrilling that Tooru felt himself getting excited and a bit jealous. He missed the thrill he used to get from playing volleyball. He missed the cheers and praises he used to get from his fans. He missed the people he used to play with, the people he used to play against. He missed Matsukawa and Hanamaki and most of all... </p><p><em> He missed Iwaizumi. </em> </p><p>All the things he had left home in Japan. All the things he had <em> abandoned  </em>to go pro. When Tooru had decided to play for Argentina he had thought the thrill of playing volleyball would only become greater. That the cheers would get louder and that his number of fans would grow.  </p><p>To be fair, that did happen. With time he had become sort of famous in the league. Women and men alike talked about Argentina’s good-looking number 13 from Japan. And at first that had been fun. Tooru had thought he was living his dream. But as everything else in this world, that fame had come with a price, and for Tooru that had been his friends. </p><p><em> Was it worth it? Did I choose right? </em> </p><p>Playing in the big league wasn’t all that Tooru had hoped it would be. He had thought it would be the same as it had been in high school, only this time it would be bigger and he would get paid. A win-win situation. Or so he had thought. </p><p>A hobby-turned-job was just that: a job. Everything was a task now; jump higher, drop lower, spike harder. At this point Tooru even missed Iwaizumi’s blows. At least <em> them  </em>would bring some excitement to the trainings.  </p><p>Now, his everyday life was just filled with this hollowness and he has no clue on how to make it go away. </p><p> </p><p>Back on the court, Hinata was being hugged by two (crying?) girls while the losing pair were kicking at the sand on the other side of the court. Most of the onlookers had started to calm down with some of them either leaving or mingling with each other.  </p><p>“Come on Tooru, let’s go find something to eat,” one of his teammates said, taking Tooru out of his trance.  </p><p>“Uh, yeah. Sure. Let’s go,” Tooru answered. </p><p>His voice was kind of monotone, almost like he was being kept in a thick fog. But could you blame him though? One of the people he used to play against back in Japan was here, in Brazil, and Tooru had no idea what he should do. Should he say hi? Should he just get over it and leave? It wasn’t like they had been close back in high school or anything. But still, this was a one in a million chance... </p><p>“Uh, Tooru. You okay? You look like you’ve seen a ghost,” another teammate said, gaining the attention from rest of the team. </p><p>“Oh, it’s nothing,” Tooru said while glancing over at Hinata, “I just can’t believe this is <em> real life.” </em> </p><p>And that’s when their eyes met. </p><p>“<em>The Grand King?!” </em> </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>They said their hellos, had lunch together, caught up. They did everything right and it had gone smoothly. At first it had been a bit awkward seeing he and Hinata hadn’t really been friends earlier, but despite that everything had gone really well. And as their conversations deepened and it got clear how alike they were, Tooru felt a sort of click.  </p><p>Not like a love-at-first-sight-click. Tooru didn’t believe in any of that movie stuff and this wasn’t a romantic click either. This was different. Like an: oh, I know we will spend a lot of time together kind of click. </p><p>And so, they would. </p><p>Hinata reminded Tooru of all the things he had forgotten since moving to Argentina. Like how volleyball was fun or how good Japanese tea was or how he had needed a friend. </p><p>And soon, the two of them had even become really good friends. </p><p>Hinata showed Tooru all the good clubs and restaurants and his presence in Tooru’s life satisfied the growling emptiness he was burdened with. And it was all... nice. </p><p>Sure, Tooru had other friends as well. Heck, he had a whole team of them. But none of them could compare to his newfound friendship with Hinata. His team was a kind of forces friendship, strictly necessary for the benefit of the league, but Hinata... Hinata was a piece of a life long-gone. A piece he would treasure with everything he hade like the most precious gem in a dragon’s hoard.  </p><p> </p><hr/><p> </p><p>For being so small, Hinata sure knew how to handle a drink.  </p><p>Being a professional volleyball player meant giving up a lot of junk food and alcohol sadly fell into that category. Tooru had thought Hinata would be just as careful with his diet seeing he was aiming at going pro, but apparently, he was wrong.  </p><p>Thay had played on the beach almost all afternoon and were now rewarding themselves to some well needed dinner. Imagine Tooru’s surprise when Hinata had ordered an alcoholic-bomb to go with his food. Not only that, but Tooru almost fell out of his chair when the little crow quickly drained that drink and ordered another one. Tooru was fully aware of the fact that he himself was a lightweight, but this was just pure mocking at this point. </p><p>“If you’re thirsty you should drink some water instead, you know,” Tooru said between bites of food. </p><p>The hint to stop wasn’t subtle at all, yet Hinata seemed completely oblivious as he ignored Tooru and took another sip. </p><p>Tooru knew he was in no place to outright tell the younger man to put down his drink, but this was getting a bit excessive.  </p><p>“Alright. Are you done? My teammates will start to wonder where I went if I don’t get back soon,” Tooru said as he stood up from his seat. </p><p>“Mhm,” was Hinata’s only reply as he too started to wobble out of his seat. </p><p>He almost fell over hadn’t Tooru been there to catch him. </p><p><em> Just great. Now I have to get him home too.  </em> </p><p>Hinata lived in an apartment just a bit away from the beach which meant that the fastest way there would be along the shore.  </p><p>Technically Tooru didn’t have to walk Hinata home. In theory he could manage completely on his own despite being a little drunk. But after having spent almost a week with the man Tooru knew that the chances of Hinata going straight home were close to zero. In fact, those odds would stay the same even without the alcohol. That part of Hinata hadn’t changed since high school. </p><p>Tooru chuckled at the thought. </p><p>Ever since his first year at Karasuno Hinata had managed to get close to most of the teams he played against, even with some people on Aoba Johsai. Tooru often saw the shrimp talking and laughing with other teams in between matches. The only reason to why the two of them hadn’t gotten close themselves were because Tooru was always occupied or bussy. If he wasn’t training, he was studying or hanging out with fans or hiding from Iwaizumi’s wrath. </p><p>That’s why Tooru felt it was necessary for him to walk Hinata home. He wasn’t worried or anything, he was just helping a friend out, right? </p><p>“Oikawa-san,” Hinata suddenly said, breaking the silence with slurred words. </p><p>“Hm?” Tooru answered. </p><p>“Say, do you believe in soulmates?” </p><p>Tooru didn’t know what he was expecting Hinata to say, but certainly not that.  </p><p>“Uh, I-I'm not sure,” Tooru answered, stopping to think for a moment, “I don’t believe in any of that supernatural stuff you see in movies, but I like the thought of everybody having someone that’s meant for them. So, I guess I do?” </p><p>A small giggle escaped the younger man, but he quickly pulled himself together. </p><p>“That’s nice.” </p><p>A moment of silence passed after that. Tooru was about to ask Hinata what he himself thought about soulmates, but Hinata beat him to it with yet another question. </p><p>“Oikawa-san, have you heard of Turtles All the Way Down?” </p><p><em> What is this? 20 questions? </em> </p><p>Even if it was, Tooru played along, curious to where Hinata wanted to go with it. It’s not like he had a better topic in mind or anything. </p><p>“Yeah, it’s a book, right? I’m not a big reader so I haven’t read it though,” Tooru said with a frown. </p><p>“Well, yes, but not quite. The saying is based on a theory about the expansion of the universe. When we think about the universe, we think about our solar system, right? But we know that our galaxy isn’t the end. The universe is endless, after all. The theory proves this by claiming the universe rests on the back of a giant tortoise. But then what does the tortoise stand on, you may ask? The answer, another one. It’s turtles all the way down, an endless tower of an infinite universe. Isn’t it a beautiful thought?” </p><p><em> Damn, shrimp. When did you take poetry classes? </em> </p><p>“Sure... Look, I get that you’re not completely yourself right now, but you’re not making any sense. What does any of this have to do with anything?” </p><p>“Everything. It's simple, really. My soulmate had another soulmate and so the chain began.” </p><p>And at that, Tooru froze. He looked over at Hinata, expecting everything but the smile he was met with. It was a soft smile, but this time it was different; his face smiled but his eyes didn’t. </p><p><em> God, Hinata. You’re breaking my heart. I wonder, who broke yours?  </em> </p><p>And then, like a service ace, Hinata leaned over and kissed him. Without warning, without permission. Probably without even thinking about doing it.  </p><p>Or a service ace wasn’t exactly right. The kiss was gentle. A feather brush to his lips. More like a jump floater; so unexpected yet powerful it put the whole world on pause.  </p><p>Truly a beautiful score. </p><p>And when they broke apart and their eyes met, the damage was done and Tooru was drawn in. He couldn’t help it. The feelings that awoke within him.  </p><p>He was nothing and suddenly everything was flooding into him at once, with a blissful overwhelmingness. He didn’t know what it was or what to call it, but it felt silly and fragile and good. It was thrilling in a new kind of way. And he longed for more, so he fought back. </p><p>He was at match point in a game he didn't want to end. All he wanted was to just kiss, for hours, like it’s everything. Like it’s art, with no other intention, but this.  </p><p> </p><p>And Hinata smiled because he knew and maybe because he wanted it too.  </p><p>So, Tooru leaned back in and set his whole world ablaze. </p>
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